November 11-13

Fall Weekend is an opportunity for youth to come together with friends from all over the Diocese and to spend time in retreat with God. Youth in grades 6 through 12 are invited to join us for a weekend of camp fun and fellowship as we explore not only what it means to be an Episcopalian, but how we share our faith with others.

Fellowship is fun, spiritual, motivating, musical, and active… and it’s at Chanco, so register now!!

Diocese of Southern Virginia

Matoaka Covenant Celebration

We hope you will join community partners from across the Diocese of Southern Virginia on October 29 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. at Chanco on the James for our Matoaka Covenant Celebration. The day promises to be informative, interactive, and engaging as we learn about the history and culture of Native peoples in Virginia and recommit ourselves to building relationships with Indigenous people today.

Come and learn how you can engage with the Matoaka Covenant, a written pledge to work together for racial justice and equality, expand the dialogue between our peoples and traditions, and stand together to care for God’s creation.

The day’s events are free and open to all. Some of the day’s activities include:

Meet Chiefs and tribal representatives from Upper Mattaponi and Nottoway Indian Tribes and learn about their customs and cultures
Native artisan demonstrations
Native Gardening by Tom Powell
What Is Indigenous Ministry and How Can We Do It Effectively? Presented by Rev. Jim Kee-Rees
Inevitable Uprising 1622 presented by Mark Summers, Public Historian, Jamestown Archaeology Team
Mattaponi Tribal Historian, Samuel Custalow McGowan, will display handmade replica artifacts with an emphasis on being stewards of creation
Hands-on interpretive material about the Pre- and Post-Contact Virginia Indian Economy, hosted by the Hampton History Museum
To Lead and Serve, exhibit about the Hampton Institute Indian school
Art installation by renowned artist Chief Kevin Brown, from the Pamunkey Tribe
Bishop Carol Gallagher, author of The Matoaka Covenant and preacher at our worship service

Registration by October 26 is required for those who plan to attend the free luncheon. Snacks and concessions will be available for a fee for those who choose not to participate in the luncheon. Individuals wishing to make a weekend of this event at Chanco should contact Marjorie Gay at 888-724-2626 to reserve accommodations.

2023 Camp Dates Are Out!

Registration is open, so don't wait to check out our 2023 Summer Calendar of camp dates! We are looking forward to another fantastic season of fun and fellowship.

Camp Diary

If you haven't seen this year's Camper Diary on Instagram, check it out in a special video and here's a link to photos of camp memories made this summer. We miss our campers already and can't wait to see everyone next year!

View Summer Camp Diary on Youtube

View the Photos of Camp Memories at chanco.org/photos/camp/

COVID Refund Policy

Chanco on the James operates as a business and must carefully manage costs based on planned revenue to ensure it does not operate at a deficit. When COVID became a serious problem for meetings and retreats, the Chanco Board of Directors realized that many of the these events had to be moved or cancelled and the Board revised its normal cancellation policy to allow organizations to extend their deposit out from the normal six month to a year or more, or even to request a refund if an event was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Although COVID has not disappeared it has become less impactful so the Board, in its August meeting, voted to return to the previous policy. If you have scheduled an event at Chanco and provided a deposit, you can request a change to the date for up to six months from the original requested date. If, however, you wish to extend beyond the six-month period, your deposit will be forfeited and a deposit will be required to reserve your new date. This will help Chanco to maintain financial stability.